UCB's Fuljenz Receives Honorary Doctorate

Mike Fuljenz, president of Universal Coin & Bullion and a nationally recognized expert on gold and rare coins, received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater on Dec. 12, 2015, during McNeese State University's (Lake Charles, La.) 145th commencement ceremony.

“This is the highest honor that the university can bestow upon an individual,” said McNeese President Dr. Philip C. Williams. “Mike Fuljenz has contributed time and resources to numerous McNeese student activities, including key contributions to academic, athletic and cultural organizations, and is deserving of this honor for his outstanding contributions to both McNeese State University and his community.”

Fuljenz, who is an NRA Benefactor member and has appeared on NRA News and NRA Guns and Gold, attended McNeese from 1972-75 as a chemistry/biology major. His financial support over the years has placed him among the school’s top 10 all-time donors, and he was inducted into the McNeese Athletic Hall of Honor in 2009.

“Having been an educator, I’m honored to receive this prestigious recognition from one of the universities I have been proud to strongly support for decades with time, talent and treasure,” Fuljenz said. A recipient of the NRA’s Golden Ring of Freedom for the work he has done as a longtime patron of the association, Fuljenz has also received several awards for his contributions to the field of numismatics—including the Numismatic Literary Guild’s Clemy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Medal of Merit from the American Numismatic Association.